Feeding machine for cotton and the like



p 1953 w. A. HERRMANN FEEDING MACHINE FOR COTTON AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1949 gwue/wtoo h /LL I/QWIM/M I WWW Sept. 29, 1953 w. A. HERRMANN 2,653,353

FEEDING MACHINE FOR COTTON AND THE LIKE Filed March 2, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 29, 1953 w HERRMANN 2,653,353

FEEDING MACHINE FOR COTTON AND THE LIKE Filed March 2, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WWW Patented Sept. 29, 1953 FEEDING MACHINE FOR COTTON AND THE LIKE Will A. Herrmann, Houston, Tex. Application March 2, 1949, Serial No. 79,277

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to cotton processing machinery, and more particularly has reference to means for feeding the cotton in a uniform manner to gin stands, cleaners and the like.

It is, of course, well known that in moving the cotton to the gin, there is often considerable overflow and generally this overflow is ultimately deposited upon the floor. Not only does this deposit of cotton interfere with movement of the workmen through the building, but it also creates a serious fire hazard. It has been customary for workmen to remove this excess overflow cotton from time to time, which is not only timeconsuming, but a rather expensive process.

Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide a machine which is located at a point intermediate the source of cotton and the ultimate processing equipment into which the cotton is directed and from which it is fed in a uniform manner to the processing equipment.

Another object of my invention is to provide a feeding assembly wherein feeding rollers are located at a position above an air chamber having disposed therein a roller for moving the cotton into the chamber from which it is transported to the gin cleaning machine or other processing equipment.

Yet a further object of my invention is to provide a feeding assembly of the character described wherein the feeding rollers and the roller for moving the cotton into the air chamber are geared to operate in unison from a common source of supply.

And still another object of my invention is to provide a drive connection of the type above described which eliminates the use of belts or the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my feeder assembly, the hopper or receptacle being removed.

Figure 2 is an end view of the assembly'shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is an end view of the machine, the view being the opposite end of that shown in Figure- 2.

Figure 7 is an end view of the feeding machine employing another type of drive connection.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 7, looking in the direction of, the arrows.

Referring to the drawings the numeral l0 denotes a framework which is adapted to be located at a suitable point with respect to the cotton source and the processing machine or machines so as to receive the flow of cotton in transit. The framework it! includes a plurality of spaced vertical uprights or supports ll, preferably of angle iron construction, and straps 12 are bolted or otherwise secured to the uprights at their lower ends for stabilizing purposes. Similarly, horizontal straps or bars 53 of angle iron section are bolted or otherwise secured, as shown at It, to the upper ends of the uprights H, and the horizontal flange of these straps serves to support a hopper or other receptacle it which is bolted or otherwise connected to the straps It. A metal housing indicated generally it is supported by the framework Ill. The housing l6 includes end plates or members El and side walls H3. The members ll and the walls W are connected by welding, brazing, or can be attached by bolts or rivets, and the end plates are connected at their upper ends to the straps i3 and secured to an angle strap 19 extending between the uprights l l at a point above the lower ends of the straps by bolts or the like 20.

As perhaps best illustrated in Figure 4, the housing is. bulged outwardly along the upper portion thereof, as shown at iii, to form an enlarged feeding area indicated F, and is then reduced to provide an air chamber C which merges with a conduit 22 disposed therebelow. The conduit 22 is provided with a discharge pipe 23 at one end thereof and a reticulated member or screen 26 is detachably connected to the opposite end of the conduit, as designated generally 25. As will later become more apparent, the screen 24 is employed when suction is used to move the cotton to the processing machine and to prevent the entry of foreign matter into the conduit, but may be disposed with when an air blast is substituted therefor.

A pair of spaced shafts 2B and 26A extend longitudinally of the housing IS in the feeding area F, and each shaft is of such length as to extend a short distance beyond the end plates or members I1 and are suitably journaled in the end plates. Rollers 27 and 21A are supported in any convenient manner by the shafts 2B and 26A, and a plurality of arms 28 and 28A extend outwardly from the rollers 27 and 21A and are detaehably connected to the rollers. The arms 28 and 28A function to move the cotton deposited in the hopper downwardly in a compact state into the air chamber C. A shaft 29 is located within the chamber C intermediate the shafts 26 and 26A and is rotatably mounted in the end plates ll. The shaft 29 also supports a roller 30 having outwardly extending arms 3i located at spaced intervals around the periphery of the roller, which arms will move the cotton fed into the chamber by the arms 28 and 28Ainto the conduit 22.

In order to impart rotational movement to the shafts 26 and 26A, it will be seen in Figure 1 that the shaft 28A is splined, as at 32, for connection with a suitable source of power and that the opposite end of the shaft has a ring gear 33 removably secured thereto by a bolt 34. The gear 33 meshes with a complemental ring gear 35 removably secured to the shaft 29, as shown at 36. The free end of the shaft 26 supports a sprocket 31 (Figure 6) and one end of the shaft 29 carries a smaller sprocket 38 and a chain 39 is trained around the sprockets 31 and 38. Hence, it can be seen that upon rotation of the shaft 26A, movement will simultaneously be imparted to the shafts 26 and 29. This means that the arms 28 and 28A will move the cotton collected in the hopper l downwardly toward the chamber C and the arms 3| on the roller 32 will direct the cotton from the air chamber into the conduit 22.

Assuming that a suitable suction fan or the like is in communication with the chamber C through the conduit 22, the screen 24 is located at the opposite end of the conduit and manifestly, the cotton will be drawn from the feeding machine through the pipe 23 which is in communication with the gin or other processing machine.

In Figures 7 and 8 I have shown another type of drive which may be employed for imparting the necessary rotational movement to the shafts 26, 25A and 29. In this form, the shafts 26 and 28A are journaled at one end in one of the end walls of the casing, whereas the opposite end of each shaft supports a worm wheel 46. A shaft 4! adapted to be connected in any suitable manner with a power source is rot-atably mounted to a pair of uprights l l, as indicated at 42, at a point below the worm wheels 40. The shaft 4| is formed with spaced worm gears 43, each worm gear 43 being adapted to mesh with the wheels 48 so that rotation of the shaft will impart movement to the wheels. The shaft 29 which supports the roller 30 in the air chamber C is journaled at one end in the one end wall and the opposite end supports a worm Wheel 44 of lesser diameter than the wheels 40 which is adapted to mesh with worm gear 45 provided on the shaft 4] intermediate the gears 43. Hence, it can be seen that upon rotation of the shaft 4!, simultaneous movement is imparted to the rollers 21, 21A and 30. In view of the fact that the operation of this embodiment is the same as that previously described, no further discussion is believed necessary.

The invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A feeding machinefor cotton comprising a housing having an open end, a hopper for receiving the cotton disposed above and in communication with the open end of the housing, a

, pair of shafts journaled in the housing in spaced 25 apart relationship to provide a material gap therebetween, a roller carried by each shaft, a plurality of radially extending arms on each roller, a worm wheel on each of said shafts, an air conduit in the housing, an additional shaft rotatably mounted in the housing at a point below and intermediate said first mentioned shafts, a roller on said last mentioned shaft, a, plurality of radially extending arms on the last named roller, a worm wheel on said shaft, a driven element having a plurality of spaced worm gears thereon, each worm gear being adapted to mesh with each worm wheel, means to rotate said driven element so that rotary movement will be imparted to the first mentioned rollers so that the arms thereof feed the cotton to the second mentioned roller whereby said arms on the second mentioned roller will move the cotton into the air conduit, and means to create an air stream through the conduit to remove the cotton thererom.

2. A feeding machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diameter of the lower roller is materially less than the diameters of the upper rollers.

WILL A. HERRMAN N.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,932,472 Mitchell Oct. 31, 1933 2,121,722 Wright June 21, 1938 2,183,583 Patterson Dec. 19, 1939 

